Mac the Naw | Cold weather brings bite

Dan Foley and his two boys Seth, left, and Caleb, right, went fishing on Tuesday. They were trolling power bait “mice tails” on the surface near Woods Creek inlet when they caught this mess of fish. The stringer was almost 8 pounds and the two big ones were 2 pounds each.

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Hello fellow anglers. I Just got back from a 1,200-mile trip up the coast and into Oregon to fish and enjoy family. Renee and I enjoyed all the rivers on the way — the Russian, Klamath, Eel, Illinois, Chetco, Smith and the Rogue. Caught a few fish and had a great time.

While in Gold Beach Oregon we received more than two inches of rain one afternoon. We left on our trip in shorts and came home to winterizing the house and wearing a jacket. We are not the only state that has strange weather.

The last night in Grants Pass there was a snow advisory down to 5,000 feet. So we hightailed it over the Siskiyou Mountains before it snowed on us. We ended up in Mt Shasta, Calif., that night where we stayed at the Cold Creek Inn, located at the base of the mountain. When we woke the next morning, Mt Shasta was covered in snow. We packed up and headed home where we enjoyed the last few days fishing with friends in our local area. In this report you will read of those areas.

LAKE TAHOE: With the cooler temps, the fishing has picked up for long-lining rapalas. The best areas are Camp Richardson through and past the mouth of Emerald bay. Here you can pick up some nice rainbows, browns or mackinaws. Deep lining is productive off the Tahoe shelf on the northwest side. Anglers are using flashers with a live minnow 12 inches behind. This weekend is the Fall Festival, formerly known as the Kokanee festival. I still remember every year my mom and dad would take us kids up to Taylor Creek to watch the salmon run. This was when the only path was old fishing trails alongside the creek. I highly recommend seeing this spectacular site. Taylor Creek is located on highway 89 about 3/4 of a mile north of Camp Richardson on the lakeside of the highway. Leave the fishing poles at home for this adventure as the streams leading into Lake Tahoe closed to all fishing on Sept. 30. But if you are in the fishing mood, call Blue Ribbon Fishing Charters at 530-544-6552.

CAPLES LAKE: The water level is still dropping. The EID boat ramp is scheduled to remain open until the first snow. The resort and general store will remain open until the end of October. The boat launch is closed, but they have boat rentals available. Fishing is rated as good for shore and boat anglers. Scott Liu took a rental boat and trolled a Thompson spoon behind flashers and caught a 4-pound rainbow. Nick Burruel was floating a night crawler near the spillway and caught a nice 2-pound rainbow. Dan Foley and his two boys Seth and Caleb were trolling power bait (mice trails) by Woods Creek and caught a nice stringer of rainbows up to 2 pounds. The cooler it gets the better the fishing will become. November is one of the best months for big browns and mackinaws. For more info call the Caples Lake Resort at 209-258-8888.

WOODS LAKE: Fishing is slow, but it’s a great place to spend the day. There is camping near the lake, and many hiking trails to enjoy to other higher lakes in the area.

BLUE LAKES: The roads are still open. Fishing is fair for small rainbow trout. Salmon eggs or inflated night crawlers are most productive.

BURNSIDE LAKE: As of Oct. 3, the road was still open to the lake. Beware of sudden weather changes in this area. The gate may be open but weather can change the road’s drivability quickly.

CARSON RIVERS: The west was planted twice over the last two weeks and the east fork planted last week by the CDFG. The west fork water level is low. Fish in the deeper sections and let no eddy go overlooked. Three inches of water can hold some big fish. I like to walk Woodfords Canyon. Fish away from the bridges and you will find some nice trout. On the east fork, the water is still flowing nicely. Geary Ness of Minden and Renee and I fished the high section last weekend. Geary could not stop catching nice pan-sized rainbows, while standing only feet from us. Renee caught one 3-pound rainbow, and I caught one 2.5-pound rainbow. In talking to Chad at the Carson Resort, he told me fishing is the best it has been all year. For more info call The Carson River Resort at 530-694-2229.

HEENAN LAKE: Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the last Sunday of this month, this is catch and release artificial lures or fly with barbless hooks only. We all ventured up to shore fish this lake last Saturday. It looked like a tilted bowl of Cheerios. All the float tubers were on the east side of the lake. Not having our float tubes, we shore fished. The good warden recommended gold kastmasters or gold spinners. After walking halfway around the lake with no hits and 10-pounds of weeds, we decided to leave and return another day with flotation devices.

TOPAZ LAKE: Closed to fishing until Jan. 1.

UPPER TRUCKEE RIVER, TROUT CREEK, TAYLOR CREEK: All streams that lead into Lake Tahoe are closed until July 1.

If you are an angler or just an outdoor enthusiast, you have to get out to Alpine County to see the fall colors. Drive along Highway 88 from Woodfords, Calif., to Caples Lake, or Highway 89 through Markleeville up and over Ebetts or Monitor Pass. Always remember, whenever you travel in the high country be prepared for extreme weather changes and make sure to tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. If you get a photo of your catch, send it to bregan@tahoedailytribyune.com . If you have a question or a report in our local area, call the Naw Line at 775-267-9722.